The new hot thing: Going tankless
Staff Reports

Automatic storage-tank water heaters have been around for over a hundred years, ever since a mechanical engineer named Edwin Ruud developed the first model in Pittsburgh in 1889. The disadvantage of this traditional style water heater is that it uses energy--natural gas or electricity- -to keep a large tank full of water heated up all the time, however much or little that water is being used. If it didn't, we could not have hot water available at the turn of a tap.

Rising energy costs and the energy conservation movement have paved the way for an alternative, the tankless water heater. Tankless water heaters have been around since at least the 1940s when they came into widespread use in postwar Europe. America, however, wasn't much interested in them. Energy was plentiful and cheap and the performance of tankless heaters of that era did not suit American habits. Then came microchips and everything changed.

Today's tankless water heater is a sophisticated system that heats water directly without the use of a storage tank. The operating principle is simple, the primary advantage comes from energy savings. The selection of the best system to accommodate the specific needs of a home and family is not, however, a simple process. In order to assure that a tankless water heater will operate to a customer's satisfaction, several essential factors must be considered when shopping for a system: the amount of household hotwater usage, water flow rate, temperature of the incoming water, the desired heating temperature, and water hardness, among others.

If you are thinking of going to a tankless water heater, it will be worth your while to learn all you can about these systems. You can see a comparison of water heater brands at www.tanklesswater.com/edmfg comparisons.asp. For customer reviews of Rinnai Corporation products, which are the hottest on the market right now, go to www.greenerbuilding.org.

Whether you go tankless or otherwise, heating your water with natural gas is by far the most energy efficient alternative--and the super hottest one! And if you replace your electric water heater with a natural gas model this summer, you can get a $500 rebate from Gulf Breeze Natural Gas. This is part of a special SUPER-SIZED rebate offer that expires August 31. For complete information about this and other SUPER-SIZED rebates, go to super-energy.com, or call Customer Service at 934-5108.